Re: [CR]Ideale Saddle timeline question

Hi CR LIST MEMBERS AND DEE,CHUCK SCHMIDT, of VELO RETRO http://www.velo-retro.com/ sells a reprint of an old IDEALE CATALOG.Idéale Saddles -- 26 pages, compilation of catalog pages and flyers from 1932 to the late 1980s of this famous French saddle manufacturer that started business in 1890 and went out of business in the 1980s. Color cover. $ 7A well known Japanese collector has a wonderful website with photographs of IDEALE SADDLES: http://members.aol.com/satorumas/brands/ideale.htmlIf he does not have the saddle in his collection it says "under construction".This particular collector has amassed a very large range of the various IDEALE SADDLES,and well worth a visit.Dee,I don't know anything about the aluminum rail IDEALE saddles,I'm not in that league yet :) The aluminum rail IDEALE SADDLES usually go for the big bucks,when they appear on ebay.I'd appreciate seeing a photo if possible of the number(s) you refer to on the aluminum rail IDEALE SADDLES.I think the later numbers i.e. like 2000,2001,2002,2003,2004 were getting near the end of the road for Ideale vintage saddles.Most IDEALE SADDLES only have a two digit number. I have one with a three digit number,an IDEALE 134 that came from a bicycle that TOM SANDERS brought to Cirque a few years back,Mark Poore bought the bicycle from Tom and I bought the saddle from Mark.LARRY BLACK ended up with the bicylce sans the IDEALE 134 SADDLE.If he does not have the saddle in his collection it says "under construction".This particular collector has amassed an very large range of the various IDEALE SADDLES.Like Dee,I have not seen an explanation of Model numbers to years available.The general trend though seems to be the lower the number the earlier the saddle,in my opinion,based on the fact that the 2000 series saddles were the end of production by the great Ideale Saddle company.The ARCHIVES WILL ALSO YEILD A LOT OF INFORMATION ON IDEALE SADDLES. The Ideale 90 and IDEALE 92 are two of the more popular models for the vintage lightweighT period of the 1970's thru the 1980's.I just picked up and old IDEALE PROFESSIONAL MODEL 52,that has a serial number on the name plate. (I think),that came stock, on a 1958 HELYETT SPECIALE,that I plan to show at CIRQUE 2008. Of special note,a TRUE VINTAGE IDEALE SADDLE will say "MADE IN FRANCE".There are some Ideale saddles that say "Designed in France" and these are some saddles that have been made after the original company went out ofbusiness.The secondary Ideale are usually Ideale 90, or Ideale 92 BUT ARE NOT MADE IN FRANCE and generally DO NOT have a steel IDEALE badge riveted to the rearof the saddle.Good luck with the IDEALE HUNT!YOURS TRULY,Marty Walsh in Vienna,Va.Archive-URL: http://search.bikelist.org/getmsg.asp?Filename=classicrendezvous.10802. 0221.eml From: <d-gordon(AT)sbcglobal.net> Date: Mon, 4 Feb 2008 13:15:16 -0800 Subject: [CR]Ideale Saddle timeline question

Hi guys, not a single person answered my post about a possible Ideale saddle timeline a few days back. I was wondering about what the number stamp means on the Durallium rails? A year maybe? I don't have enough of them on original bikes to figure it out. :-) Some that I have say 56, 59, etc. I was wondering if there is any knowledge out there online or elsewhere regarding the correct 'period correct' year that I can put these 56 and 59 Ideale saddles on. Also, I have several with different number stamps on the leather, like 41, 42 and I was wondering if there is a timeline somewhere that would help to know what year bikes these go on. I'm pretty sure its the 1960s.

Thanks,

-Dee Gordon
Los Angeles